Costa Atlantica and Mediterranea Sold to New Chinese Brand

Posted on 6 November, 2018 by Spacejunkie2

CSSC Carnival Cruise Shipping has announced an agreement to purchase two existing ships from Carnival Corporation’s Costa Group.

The first of these ships, the 85,861-ton, 2,210-passenger Costa Atlantica, is scheduled to be transferred to the new Chinese cruise line by the end of 2019. The new line is part of a joint venture between China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC) and Carnival Corporation.

Costa Atlantica’s sister ship, the 2,114-passenger Costa Mediterranea, will be transferred at a date still to be announced but is expected to be at the end of 2020, according to CSSC.

The new China-based cruise company plans to operate its own fleet to serve Chinese cruise guests by the end of 2019, according to a press release.

CSSC to Buy Two Cruise Ships Ahead of Major Newbuilding Plans

Posted on 1 November, 2018 by Spacejunkie2

China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC) will buy two cruise ships ahead of building a series of new ships, said Jincheng Yang, general manager, speaking at China Cruise Shipping in Shenzhen, China.

“China represents a huge market with great potential,” Yang noted.

Believed to be for a yet-to-be-named domestic cruise brand in China, he said the two ships will serve as a base for the company’s operations.

The first ship is expected to join the CSSC fleet in late 2019, followed by a second vessel in 2020.

Meanwhile, the company’s joint venture with Carnival Corporation will see the first of two Vista-class ships launch in 2023; the ships will be built new in China.

CSSC is the majority partner in the venture while Carnival will take on a minor role and help operate the vessels.

“We are already engineering our made-in-China cruise vessel,” he said. “According to our plan, the vessel will be in operation in 2023.”

A second ship is set to follow in 2024, and options extend out for an additional four vessels.

Fincantieri is also closely involved, helping oversee the construction process in China.

Yang said CSSC is aiming to have a fleet of eight cruise ships; including the two they plan to acquire followed by six 5,000-guest Vista-class newbuilds.

The secondhand vessels were not named, but a company presentation made at China Cruise Shipping said the ships would be around 85,000 tons with capacity for roughly 2,800 guests each.

Yang said the cruise business represented a good opportunity to build relationships with neighbouring countries, playing into China’s belt and road initiative.

Building ships would also boost domestic economic activity while positively contributing to a massive supply chain.

Posted on 23 July, 2018 by Spacejunkie2

Princess Cruises orders two low-emission ships

Princess Cruises is joining UK sister company P&O Cruises in agreeing to build two large new generation ships.

The new 4,300-passenger vessels will be Princess Cruises’ first to be dual-fuel powered – primarily by Liquefied Natural Gas to cut air emissions and marine gas oil.

The 175,000 gross ton new builds are due to be delivered in late 2023 and spring 2025.

The ships will be based on a next-generation platform “designed to further enhance an already world-class holiday experience”.

They will be the largest by capacity in the US line’s fleet and be built at Fincantieri’s shipyard in Monfalcone, Italy.

The agreement for Princess Cruises’ next-generation ships represents parent company Carnival Corporation’s 10th and 11th LNG-powered vessels.

Specification details for the ship design, along with anticipated features and amenities of this new platform design for Princess Cruises, will be shared in the future, according to the company.

The line’s president, Jan Swartz, said: “This revolutionary platform for next-generation, LNG-powered cruise ships will introduce innovative design and leisure experiences driven by the future holiday and lifestyle trends of our guests – further evolving the already best-in-class Princess Cruises experience we deliver today.

“We look forward to collaborating with Fincantieri to bring our vision for this next-generation premium cruise ship into service.”

Fincantieri chief executive Giuseppe Bono added: “We are proud to extend our long-established partnership with Princess Cruises, a brand we have been tied to since our return to the cruise shipbuilding industry in 1990.

“After so many years, we are ready to enter, together, a new era of this industry, increasingly aimed at reducing even more of our environmental impact.

“We proudly do this with an all-time record project, both in terms of size and technology. We believe that there are no more significant milestones than these to reaffirm our market-leading position.

“This builds upon the solid partnership between our country and Carnival Corporation – the largest foreign investor in Italy – while at the same time building upon our technological strength and increasing employment.”

Princess Cruises has three new Royal-class ships on order with Fincantieri, including its next new build, Sky Princess, which is due for delivery in October 2019. The two other Royal-class ships are planned to enter service in 2020 and 2022.